Afraid to Speak to Clients On the Phone? Why & How to Overcome Your Phone Fear

Does your heart pound when your studio phone rings?

Do you calmly and cheerfully look forward to inquiries from potential clients, or do you begin to sweat profusely?

“What if they ask how much I charge?…

…What if they want a type of photography that I have never done before?…

What if they challenge my session fees??

Maybe I should just let it go to voice mail or hope that they hang up before I answer and email instead…”

I can remember feeling many of those mixed emotions l when I first started my photography business. I remember being tired and quite frankly not even feeling like talking to anyone sometimes.

But talking to potential clients on the phone can make a HUGE difference in the amount of sessions you book…

At my studio, even when we receive email inquiries, we always ask for the potential client’s phone number so we can call to discuss questions and details.

We find that we have a vast improvement on booking rates by getting the person on the phone to chat, rather than going back and forth between emails.

Put it in Perspective

Remember all the effort and money that you put into getting the phone to ring in the first place?

Interested clients calling you is a good thing! This means your marketing is working and your name is getting out into the community. This is a GREAT sign!

Just think – when the phone rings you are receiving another opportunity to get paid to do photography – how cool is that?

Overcoming your phone fear

A good exercise to overcome this fear and become more comfortable speaking with clients over the phone is to make a list of all the potential comments and questions that a caller might have – especially the ones that make your heart beat faster.

Write them all down on a note pad, and don’t worry about the answer just yet. Keep writing until you have exhausted all the possible client questions that you fear.

Now think about how you would answer these questions without the stress of being put on the spot. What would your perfect response be? Now write it down! Just let it flow – you can edit it and perfect it later – the important thing is capturing the essence of what you wish to communicate to your caller.

Create a Script

Now that you have an answer to the questions and comments that have stumped you in the past, open up Word and start writing you scripts.

I suggest writing the most frequently asked questions at the top of the sheet with the answer typed in bold underneath the question.

While you are at it, also type out what you would like your initial phone answering line to be at your studio. This way, if anyone else answers the phone they will answer in a uniform and professional manner. For example: “Thank you for calling Scott Sylvia Photography, Scott speaking.”

Review and practice your answers until they become second nature, but keep the script by your phone for quick reference if you get stuck.

Look forward to the next call

Having answers for the tough questions and objections will vastly improve your confidence in this vital area of booking sessions.

Like any skill, it takes practice, so don’t give up. Remember, you want to make a good first impression to the caller on the other end of the phone.

So, take a deep breath and put a smile on your face before answering. Believe it or not, people can sense that smile on the other end. Being cheerful and interested in the other person will help you book more sessions.

Your turn!

We want to hear from you! In the comments, let us know your experience with speaking with potential clients over the phone, and any issues or questions you’ve had about getting comfortable with the process.